


Raleigh Becket and the Infuriating Transfer Student

by amusewithaview



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Animagus, Animal Transformation, F/M, Hufflepuff!Raleigh, M/M, Ravenclaw!Mako, Slytherin!Chuck, Stacker is done with your shit., Team Hot Dads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 21:15:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusewithaview/pseuds/amusewithaview
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all starts when Chuck Hansen transfers to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...</p><p>In which: Chuck is annoying, Hercules is secretive, the Becket boys are teaching assistants, Newton spikes people's drinks with potions, Mako has a complicated dating history, and Stacker is absolutely done with all this drama.</p><p>So, business as usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The pre-semester teacher’s meeting was always…interesting.

Professor Hansen, Head of Gryffindor, would usually arrive first and _always_ sat in the corner farthest from the door, keeping his back to the wall to prevent anything… _untoward_ happening to his drink. It was a necessary precaution when you had a colleague as prone to enthusiastic – and not always pre-approved – experimentation as one Newton Geizsler, professor of Potions _and_ Care of Magical Creatures. The excitable man tended to arrive early to the meetings, the better to take advantage of the special spread the House Elves would leave out for these events, the uniqueness of which was the only draw that was strong enough to ensure Professor Chau would descend from his tower of divinatory (and possibly hallucinatory) smoke. Hannibal would generally take the corner opposite Hercules, sitting with a pipe and a sort of sharp, secretive smile that always _implied_ foreknowledge without ever outright _stating_ it.

Most of the faculty felt that it was a toss-up, really, whether Hannibal Chau was honestly precognitive or just constitutionally incapable of expressing (possibly _feeling_ ) surprise.

The Professors Kaidanovsky, Heads of Slytherin and Hufflepuff, arrived together every year, and usually brought alcohol of some sort, generally imported and _always_ strong enough to knock a grown man silly after a single shot. It was a bit of a right-of-passage to encourage new hires to imbibe: it set them on the right path to expecting the unexpected (students were nothing if not creatively destructive, no matter the subject taught), and usually prevented them from trying to deliver some sort of introductory speech to the student body, though Hermann Gottlieb’s attempt was somewhat legendary, as it had meandered through several different languages, before finally settling into a rhythmic tapping that eventually forced the Muggle Studies professor, Allison, to include a section on Morse code in her course.

(She has yet to forgive Hermann. He has yet to apologize.)

Hermann, Head of Ravenclaw, often arrived just before the meeting was due to start, hands covered in chalk and still muttering over the latest arithmantic models he was developing.

The rest of the faculty generally filled in the spaces around them.

Last to arrive were the Head and her Deputy. Hermione Weasley was a formidable woman, even, or maybe especially, as she aged. Now reaching her middle sixties, she made an impressive figure: hair bushy as ever (students frequently attributed the size of her coiffure to the sheer amount of knowledge contained in her head), meticulously pressed over-robes draped over clothes that tended towards Muggle professional rather than wizarding. She had a welcoming air, for all her impressive (and daunting) knowledge, and kept an open office for students to come to her with questions. This practice made her, the Muggleborn students frequently thought, the perfect ‘good cop’ to her Deputy’s ‘incredibly terrifying without making any threats cop.’

Stacker Pentecost, the History of Magic professor, was an intimidating man, and it was his presence that signaled the start of the meeting. He was, under normal circumstances, last to arrive: not out of a lack of diligence, but because he never entered without making at least one last check of the train. Even if it had been nearly thirty years since the last time a Dark Lord had dared to make an attempt on the Hogwarts Express, Pentecost was a firm believer in vigilance.

This year was different, however, something Newt noted the instant he bounced into the meeting room only to find it deserted. He blinked in surprise, staring around as if expecting Herc to magically (hah!) appear on a second glance, before settling down by the fireplace with a full plate of goodies.

The Kaidanovskys arrived next, Sasha’s bright red lips open in a laugh that displayed her brilliantly white (but not sharp, no matter what the Slytherins claimed) teeth. Alexis had obviously just finished a joke, grinning a little at his terrifying spouse with his usual besotted expression.

“Vhere is Hercules?” Sasha asked, frowning, “Newt…”

“I didn’t do it! I swear!” Newt exclaimed around a mouthful of tart.

“No empty cup, яркие масштабе,” Aleksis rumbled.

“Hmph,” Sasha eyed Newt suspiciously, then made a show of pulling a flask out of her robes and turning her nose up at the beverages on the table.

Newt scowled, sinking down in his chair: “Spike the punch with polyjuice _one time…_ ”

The rest of the professors trickled in slowly after that, each noting Hercules’ absence in their own ways. Hannibal was the only other one to speak though, grinning sharply at his discomfited coworkers, “I knew this’d happen. The Deputy is going to be _pissed_.”

Hermann ignored him with a huff and a roll of his eyes, turning back to Newt, who was watching the Divinations Professor with wide eyes. “Oh, _really_ , Newton, don’t listen to that snake-oil salesman!”

“That _vhat_ ,” Sasha asked dangerously.

Hermann jerked in surprise, but whatever he might have said was cut off by the arrival of Stacker Pentecost, whose thunderous scowl at the absence of both the Headmaster and Hercules was enough to cut off conversation across the entire room.

Luckily, the duo arrived before the silence could get _too_ oppressive, Hermione ushering in Hercules ahead of her with an odd smile on her face. Hercules looked downright uncomfortable, ignoring Stacker’s questiong, “Mr. Hansen?” and slinking to his usual seat with none of his usual athletic grace.

“Well,” Hermione said, clapping her hands, “a new year, new students – “

Hercules flinched.

“ – soon to be Sorted, and Teaching Aids to claim!”

“Dibs on the Beckets!” Hermann and Newt chorused.

There was a collective grumble from the assembled faculty, most of whom then turned to look towards Hercules for the expected objection. When none came, there was a second ripple through the room… what was going on?

Newt, looking thrown, stood for his usual speech, “I know they’re great at basically _everything_ ,” here he threw a halfhearted glare at Hercules and Aleksis, the Heads of the Becket boys’ respective Houses, “but we have to take their interests into account as well – “

“And, truly, their help has been invaluable in our research,” Hermann cut in.

Faced with none of the usual objections, Hermione nodded, “Very well, the Beckets are yours.”

The Kaidanovskys exchanged a speaking look, then stood as one: “Ve vould like Mako Mori, as per zhe usual agreement,” Sasha requested for both DADA instructors. The couple had jointly taught the course from the beginning, their tag-team teaching style reflecting their respective House origins and benefiting all kinds of students.

Hermione, after a requisite look towards Mako’s guardian, acquiesced. “Anyone else?”

Hercules stirred, finally, raising his head slowly to look at the Kaidanovskys. “My son,” he said slowly, reluctantly, as if each word was being dragged out of him, “he’s a bit of a, well, a Defense prodigy – “

Stacker’s head snapped up, staring at Hercules as if he could read his mind through sheer willpower alone – an impossible feat, as Professor Hansen was second in DADA, and the requisite Occlumency, only to the Kaidanovskys.

“ _Da_ ,” Sasha interrupted, “he is taught by Pavel Semin, no?”

“Well, he was,” Hercules allowed, “but he’s finished his schooling at the Sorcery Institute in Sydney and so – “

Stacker’s glare intensified, if possible.

“ – he’ll be coming here, this year,” he finished, throwing an apologetic look Stacker’s way. “It was a bit of a surprise to me, but I guess his aunt’s going to be going on a trip and he’s still underage, so…”

The tension was palpable in the very air as Hercules finally met Stacker’s eyes.

“Chuck is coming _here?_ ” Stacker asked.

“Ve vould be happy to take him on,” Sasha declared, actually looking quite pleased.

The rest of the faculty were still caught up in the drama unfolding before them, even the Headmistress seemed to be leaning in, curious as the rest of them.

“Look,” Hercules started, with eyes only for Stacker, “I didn’t know how to – “

“I think that takes care of all the _required_ pre-semester business,” Hermione cut in hastily, “let’s adjorn to the Great Hall, yes?”

A veritable stampede of professors followed her, along with the not-so-quiet cackle of one Hannibal Chau: “Looks like Mommy and Daddy are gonna _fight_ ,” leaving the Deputy and the Charms professor to their dispute.

“You know,” Newt said, beaming at a resigned-looking Hermann, “I think this is gonna be a _great_ year!”


	2. Chapter 2

Raleigh waited patiently for Yancy at the barrier, keeping one eye on his trunk and the other on the brick wall that marked the wizarding side of the King’s Cross Station. The sleek, scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express gleamed at the corner of his eye, but he paid it no mind. None of his fellows students called out as they passed, and he offered only a nod to the few who knew him well enough to wave, then hurried on, knowing he would be distracted by this much of a hubbub.

When Yancy pushed through at last, he was greeted with Raleigh’s scowl.

“What?”

“What took you so long?” Raleigh asked gruffly, reaching for the handle to his own trolley.

“I was…sidetracked,” Yancy explained with a slightly smug smile.

“Polly? Wait, don’t tell me,” Raleigh muttered, disgust curling the corner of his lip.

Yancy rolled his eyes: “Someday, you are gonna discover that you _like_ someone, and not know what to do about it at _all_ and I am going to laugh _so hard_ , little brother.”

“Better than going through fifteen, wait, _twenty-five_ of the wrong sort, first.”

“Polly’s not the wrong sort, she’s the _just right for now_ sort.”

“Ugh,” Raleigh groaned, “I’ll never get it.”

“No, you won’t,” Yancy agreed, rubbing his knuckles over his brother’s hair affectionately, “and that’s fine.”

Raleigh shrugged him off, then led the way towards the train, “I’m gonna go look for a compartment, are you good?”

“I’m good. You know, you don’t always have to check up on me, pretty sure I’m the older brother and it’s _my_ job to be weirdly overprotective.”

“Yeah, well, you suck at it,” Raleigh retorted with one of his rare grins.

“Punk.”

“Slut.”

“ _Prude_ ," Yancy muttered, rolling his eyes, “Go find your not-girlfriend, you idiot.”

“She’s not my…shut up.”

“Go on, get.”

With a roll of his eyes, Raleigh headed towards the luggage drop off and then onto the train. Yancy would be fine, now, soon to be surrounded by a flock of his ardent admirers as befit the extremely charismatic Becket brother. Raleigh, on the other hand, headed towards the back of the train, where his usual compartment – and closest friend – waited.

Mako barely spared him a glance when he finally found her, already engrossed in some thick tome. He smiled at her regardless, stowing his small rucksack and slumping down beside her. She made a small noise of protest when his arm jostled her book, but quickly moved to accommodate his lean form.

Soon, both were absorbed in the book as they settled into their favored reading position: each holding one half of the text, pressed together from knees to shoulders as they read. Mako was the faster reader, but she liked to skim over key passages a second, and sometimes a third, time while she read. Raleigh, on the other hand was a slow, thorough reader – it worked for them.

“You look like you had a good summer,” Mako finally greeted him after a few minutes had passed.

“Not bad,” he allowed, holding the book steady while she turned the page.

“How are your nightmares?” Raleigh tensed a little, and Mako made a soft ‘hmmm’ noise as she felt it: “How has your Occlumency practice gone?”

Raleigh ducked his head, cringing a little more when the expected reprimand came.

“Raleigh Michael Becket, you _know better_.”

“We were working on other things!” he whined, “I finished the runic measurements, and Yancy was tutoring me on my Transfiguration, we’re all ready to start our animagic directed study as soon as we get to Hogwarts.”

“That is fantastic,” Mako said, grim tone belying her enthusiastic words, “but it will do you no good to finish all the preparations if you cannot find your form because of all the turmoil here,” she dropped her end of the book to place a hand against his head, “and _here_ ,” her other went to his heart.

“I know,” Raleigh sighed, slumping against her and letting the book slide to the floor with a soft _thump_ , “it’s just…those nightmares are the only times I get to see her anymore…”

Mako immediately curled herself against him, head resting on his shoulder and the hand that had been resting over his heart clutching at his shirt instead. Raleigh wrapped his arm around her, letting her settle into him more easily. They sat like that for several minutes just breathing together through the last of the boarding, through the train setting off, until they were interrupted by the loud clatter of their compartment door being unceremoniously shoved open.

A red-blonde head of spiky hair stuck itself through the door and grimaced at the sight of them huddled on the seat. “Budge up, would ya?” the young man said, a bit of a sneer on his face and in his tone, “Everywhere else is full up with little tykes, but I’m not keen on watching a snugglefest for the rest of the train ride.”

Raleigh immediately stiffened, only Mako’s restraining grip keeping him down.

“You are new,” Mako said as the boy entered their compartment.

“Well spotted,” the kid snorted, entering and directing an animal carrier of some sort behind him with his wand.

“You must be Professor Hansen’s son,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken.

He jerked in surprise, then scowled, “Not many Australian wizards about, I reckon.”

Mako nodded, “Your father speaks very highly of you. I am Mako Mori.”

“Chuck,” he replied.

‘Chuck’ was rude, but – Raleigh admitted to himself reluctantly – also kind of attractive. His hair was short, but stood out in every direction, though it seemed to curl a little at the back of his neck and around his ears. His eyes were a murky blue green, but sharp with an intensity of focus that made the hairs on the back of Raleigh’s neck stand on end. He stifled a shiver only barely, not sure why he was reacting so strongly to the rude stranger.

“I’m Raleigh Becket,” he muttered only after Mako’s elbow had made sharp contact with his ribs.

Chuck immediately straightened from where he’d been fussing with his oversized cat carrier, “ _Rah_ leigh?” Chuck made a show of giving him a long, appraising look. “My father speaks very highly of your Charms work,” he said with the sort of tone one would use to describe a particularly virulent form of skin bacteria.

“Funny,” Raleigh returned, stung despite himself, “I’ve never heard of _you_ before.”

“ _Raleigh_ ,” Mako hissed, but it was too late.

Chuck purpled, hands fisting at his sides. “You – “

Raleigh sighed and stood. His spiteful side couldn’t help but note with not inconsiderable glee that he had at least three inches on the younger boy, the rest of him, though: “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “That was uncalled for.”

Chuck stared at him, nonplussed, “Right. Uh. Accepted?”

He nodded and sat back down, deliberately scooping up the fallen potions text as he did so and passing Mako’s end back to her. They began reading again, slowly falling back into sync after a summer apart. Raleigh couldn’t help but sneak glances at Chuck every so often. He was just curious to see what was in the pet carrier, he reassured himself, and that was perfectly normal.

Chuck ignored them for the rest of the train ride, settling down across from them with his own book, the quiet only broken when they each rose to change into their respective robes. He seemed surprised to see Mako’s Ravenclaw badge, but showed no such emotion at the sight of Raleigh’s Hufflepuff insignia, something which made Mako give the odd little head-tilt Raleigh recognized from when she had had a theory confirmed.

He wondered what it was, but didn’t care to ask somewhere where the new kid, this ‘Chuck,’ would hear.

At last the train ride was over, and the two of them could escape what had become an oppressive quiet, heading for the carriages. Raleigh shuddered at the sight of the thestrals, sending a small, grateful smile Mako’s way when she slipped her hand in his.

Yancy found them not long after, bringing six or seven of his current closest companions along with him. The commotion was enough that Raleigh forgot to wonder where the transfer student had gone to.

Though he wouldn’t be able to put Chuck out of his mind for long…


End file.
